So, you need to write your resume, but you don’t even know where to start. Writing a resume can seem very daunting.
A great resume makes ALL the difference in getting noticed or tossed to the side.
I’m sure you know that a resume needs to include skills, work experience, education…etc,
How do you portray it though?
Will you seem professional or like a try-hard?
Are you adding the incorrect information?
ARE YOU GOING CRAZY?
No, you’re not; this stuff is hard. Almost EVERYONE writing a resume has felt like that before, but you came to the right place.
When writing a resume there IS a certain guide line to follow. It is one of the most important things about a resume! Don’t fret just yet though.
These steps below will teach you today exactly what to put in your resume and what to get rid of.
So, what to put on a resume.
- Contact Information
- Name
- Address
- Phone number(s)
- Summary
- You want to include your desired position. What are you applying for? Make that obvious right away.
- What do you intend to accomplish for the company your applying for? Yes, hiring managers LOVE to know what you can do for them.
- Work History and Experience
- You want to start with your current or most recent job. List your resume in reverse-chronological order.
- Include the title of your previous jobs, the company name, and start-end dates.
- USE ACTION WORDS! (These catch the reader’s attention and keep you from falling into snooze town halfway through)
- Don’t forget to highlight your tasks! What did you do or accomplish there.
- Education
- This will include the universities name
- Your Degree/Major
- Any honors/awards
Those are key points of your resume.
Remember hiring managers want to see communication, leadership and planning skills.
That means don’t be modest when stating skills, hell, they love that stuff!
Don’t add these to a resume.
- Explanations of anything negative
- Resumes are supposed to be positive. A resume is supposed to be promotional documents.
- ALL the jobs you’ve ever held
- If it doesn’t relate to the job your applying for don’t add it! If your applying for a business position don’t add the time you were a newspaper delivery boy in 8th Grade!
- Unrelated Personal Information
- If it has to do with your race, gender, age, sexual orientation, or religion STOP right there. Hiring managers don’t care about that information, you leave yourself up for discrimination.
- Don’t put any credit card information. Need I explain more?
Extra Tips
- Don’t even worry about references, that’s for an entirely different sheet.
- Don’t put volunteer work unless you’re a graduate and/or have no work experience yet.
- Always be honest. Nothing is worse than being put on the spot and not being able to back up your claims.
Now that you know, go tackle that resume! You’re good at what you do!